Australia\u2019s snow season has officially begun, with resorts predicting a good season despite climactic threats and the cost-of-living crisis.<\/p>\n
Between 20cm and 40cm of snow fell across the Victorian and New South Wales<\/a> alps before the long weekend, with the falls bolstered by snowmakers.<\/p>\n The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Friday that the snow was widespread, with light snow showers clearing up to deliver cold frosty nights and sunny days for the weekend.<\/p>\n On Saturday, snow cams showed snow blanketing the ground in some areas. In others, it was patchy or nonexistent.<\/p>\n Resorts increasingly have to rely on technology including<\/a> snow cannons, snow \u201cfactories\u201d (which can produce snow in any temperature), snow grooming and snow harvesting to keep skiers and snowboarders happy.<\/p>\n Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n Thredbo resort\u2019s general manager, Stuart Diver, said sales were up and they were \u201cpretty confident it\u2019s going to be a good season\u201d. He dismissed predictions from the BoM of below-average snowfall, and said last year had been amazing despite a similar forecast.<\/p>\n But ahead of the long weekend that marked the season\u2019s \u201copening\u201d, experts warned that climate change and the El Ni\u00f1o weather pattern could deliver a slushy season<\/a>.<\/p>\n BoM senior forecaster Jonathan How said dry, warm conditions combined with El Ni\u00f1o, which is likely to form in the coming weeks, were a \u201cbad combination\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does not favour good deep snow cover for skiers,\u201d he said, and added that lower rainfall and higher temperatures \u201c[tip] the odds against a good season\u201d.<\/p>\n Interest in the 2026 season at Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham was \u201cstrong\u201d, Vail Resorts\u2019 senior communications manager, Dani Wright, said. The company does not release sales data.<\/p>\n The ABC reported last year<\/a> that people were bringing their own meals, tents and barbecues to cut the cost of a ski trip, and there are many complaints online about the soaring cost of lift passes.<\/p>\n Back in 2010, a one-day lift pass was about $100, according to a survey by the Australian Alpine Club. At the time, they were more expensive than some of the most famous resorts in the world.<\/p>\n In general, a one-day pass can now cost more than double that, although there are a range of discounts for beginners, multi-day bundles and families. Vail Resorts has an opening weekend special of a $99 pass with an optional $1 lesson \u2013 effectively the 2010 price.<\/p>\n Climate crisis fears<\/p>\n A 2024 Australian National University report<\/a> found that Australian ski seasons will shrink by between 44 and 55 days by 2050 if the current climate trajectory continues.<\/p>\n If carbon emissions are driven down and kept down, the ski season would be 28 days shorter by 2050, but could start to recover by 2080.<\/p>\n The Snow Resorts Australia Summit in May heard that snow making was a critical climate resilience measure<\/a> for the industry, and could even be seen as critical public infrastructure.<\/p>\n Diver said Thredbo was \u201cin a good spot to make sure that the industry is sustainable for decades to come\u201d and was diversifying its offerings.<\/p>\n